The repository shall commit to transparency and accountability in all actions supporting the operation and management of the repository that affect the preservation of digital content over time.

This is necessary because transparency, in the sense of being available to anyone who wishes to know, is the best assurance that the repository operates in accordance with accepted standards and practices.

Reports of financial and technical audits and certifications; disclosure of governance documents, independent program reviews, and contracts and agreements with providers of funding and critical services.

If the repository uses software to capture information about its history, it should be able to demonstrate these tracking tools. Where appropriate, the history is linked to relevant preservation strategies and describes potential effects on preserving digital content. This requirement does not mean that the organization must make information which would make it vulnerable to competitors available, but rather that the organization commits to disclosing its methods for preserving digital content at least to the Designated Community or other appropriate stakeholder in order to demonstrate that it is meeting all current preservation requirements.

APTrust demonstrates its commitment to transparency by creating, maintaining, and providing public access via our websites and documentation. 

The Vision, Mission, and Shared Values Policy describes our shared values of openness and transparency. APTrust favors open technologies and protocols and contributes to developing standards for digital preservation. We hold regular, open-to-the-community meetings where we share our goals and progress. APTrust’s technical documentation, governance and policy documents, and budget reports are publicly available on our website.

APTrust policy procedures document the ongoing review of policies based on predetermined review cycles. Previous versions are archived in the University of Virginia Library institutional repository.

APTrust fosters open communication among its community. Several mailing lists and Slack channels exist for members, and news is shared via the APTrust news blog. As the Governance Manual mentions, APTrust hosts annual membership meetings open to the entire community.